Access & Functional Needs Populations

Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities, Seniors, and Others with Access and Functional Needs

Everyone needs to understand their risk to various hazards, make a plan to stay safe, have an emergency kit, and plan to stay informed as events unfold.

The following information is designed to provide details for community members with access and functional needs that are not always obvious and may not be covered in the SoCoEmergency Preparedness information.

NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) – Get a NOAA Weather Radio and leave it on at all times. When activated by an event, these radios generate an alarm, voice alert, and flasher.

Sonoma County residents may tune their NOAA radio to frequency 162.475.

If you are deaf or have hearing loss these radios have add-on equipment such as strobe lights and bed shakers to help alert everyone in the household that action is needed in an emergency.

The County will be demonstrating the Midland WR-120 Weather Radio on Sonoma Ready Day. This model is accepts accessories such as strobes and bed shakers. An instructional video regarding how to set up this weather radio is provided below:

Check out Stay Informed for more information including radio, television, and mobile applications!

Make a Plan

People and pets are your first priority.

If you will need help to evacuate quickly reach out, in advance, to neighbors, family, or friends and discuss how they can assist you, what you will need, and a back-up plan in case the primary help is not able to assist.

Be sure to have extra supply of life-saving medications on hand, as well as copies of prescriptions.

If you have life-saving equipment plan for alternate resources should you need to evacuate, or a way to take the equipment with you.

Remember, first responders will be overloaded in a disaster, help yourself by planning in advance!

A written description of your disability will be helpful if you are unable to communicate.

If you use a motorized mobility device it is helpful to have a manual travel chair available in case of rapid evacuation orders.

Try to have extra of all medical supplies you need standing by for rapid departure.

For more information on building an emergency kit, see Build a Kit and Fema.govfor more information.

Special Information regarding PG&E De-energization

During special conditions, which include red flag warnings, high winds, low humidity, dry fuel load, and other factors, PG&E may shut down power in an effort to minimize the risk of starting a wild fire. While they will make every attempt to provide advanced notice, that may not be possible so being prepared for a power outage is important for everyone in Sonoma County this fire season. The power could be out for a number of days.